Patan (Gujarat) Tourism And Travel Guide

Patan is one of Gujarat’s historical ancient cities. It used to be the capital of Gujarat in the olden times. Majorly famous for the silk Patola Sarees, Patan has several places of interest which attract tourists from different parts of the country. The city is full of temples, classic architecture, colorful festival, traditional food, and dress items. So there are various things that can be done at this site. We present a quick tourism and travel guide of the city to help you know more about Patan.

Patan is one of the historic towns in Gujarat. It’s more famous for the amazing Patan Patola Silk sarees and for some beautiful places in and around the city. It has decent connectivity with other parts of Gujarat through Rail, Road, and Air. Let’s quickly walk you through some of the available options to reach the city.

By Rail:

Patan doesn’t have direct connectivity from Mumbai, Delhi, and other metropolitan. It’s a small town near Ahmedabad at about 110 km from the state capital. The nearest railway station is Mehsana, which is about 50 km from the city. So prefer getting down at either Ahmedabad or Mehsana and then book a private cab or buses to reach the city.

By Road:

Patan is roughly 110 km away from the financial capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad. It is linked with other cities through well-maintained state and national highways. Many private and State Transport buses managed by the state government bus services are available at frequent intervals. 

By Air:

Patan doesn’t have its own airport. So if you want to reach Patan by flight, you will have to get down at the nearest airport which is Ahmedabad, Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport. There are many cabs available outside, so book one of them and reach the city. It takes about 2 hours to reach from the airport to the Patan city center.

Getting Around:

To move around in the city, you can use the auto-rickshaw service, local city buses, and private cabs. To visit local tourist sites, you can book a rick or avail of the bus service. These two options are quite inexpensive and can help you reach anywhere in the city. To visit the neighboring regions, a private cab can be booked for a day or two, with price starting from INR 1000 to INR 1500. Always bargain before confirming anything. 

The state of Gujarat experiences extreme climate conditions because the Tropic of Cancer passes through the northern border of Gujarat. Patan (and the rest of the state) has three major seasons Summer, Monsoon, and Winter. The temperature in summer is obviously hot, humid during monsoons, and pretty cold in winters. The best time to visit Patan is, without a doubt, winters as the climate is extremely pleasant during this time.

Summer (March - June)

The summer season is extremely hot and therefore it is not recommended to visit the city during this time. The max temperature can go up to 38 °C. So if you happen to visit this place in Summers, ensure to bring along some light clothes to avoid inconvenience.

Monsoon (July - October):

The monsoon season starts from mid of June and lasts till the end of September and early October. The temperature reduces due to rains but continues to remain more or less humid. Still, these are good enough conditions to visit the city. The view of nature and greenery during monsoon is just awesome.

Winter (November - February):

Winter is the best time to visit Patan. The climate is extremely pleasant at this time. The temperature can get extremely low, occasionally, but generally, the lowest it gets to is 10 °C. So bring along some warm clothing and just enjoy the beauty of the city.

Visit the Famous Temples:

Patan has more than 100 Jain temples. Amongst others, the Mahavir Swami Derasar in Dhandherwad is one of the most prominent one. The exquisitely carved wooden dome looks stunning. Along with the numerous Jain temples, there are some really famous and important Hindu temples. The list includes Bramha Kund, Kalika Mata, and Harihareshwar Mahadev are some of the well-known temples in the city.

Attend the Rani Ki Vav Festival:

Rani Ki Vav festival is celebrated in the month of December or January in Patan with high grandeur. It is also known by the name “Water Festival”. During this festival, one can see spectacular decorations around the stepwell. In the evenings, “Diyas” or lamps are lit all over the place which makes the place stunningly beautiful. Therefore, witnessing this amazing festival becomes the top attraction amongst many tourists.

Explore the Hemachandracharya Gyan Mandir:

Hemchandracharya was one of the greatest Gujarati scholars and grammarians. He’s known to be the first one to formulate and standardized the grammar of the Gujarati language. Being a historic and traditionally iconic figure, a temple has been erected in remembrance of his work and contributions. Hence, Hemachandracharya Gyan Mandir is one of the most popular tourist spots in Patan as it has numerous rare ancient manuscripts in Sanskrit and Prakrit. 

Admire the Sahastralinga Talav:

Sahastralinga Talav was built by Siddhraj Jaisingh (1093 -1143 AD) from the Chalukyan dynasty. The architecture of this tank showcases the great understanding of water management and the virtue of water as per Hindu mythology. As per the design, the tank received water from a canal of the Saraswati river. It was spread in the area of about 5 km with masonry embankments. There used to be thousands of shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva on the edge of the water tank. But today, you can only see the remains of only a few.

Know More About Prabhas Patan Museum:

Patan is a city of culture and craft. It has remains of architectural excellence in its every part. The well-preserved structures are the evidence of its rich heritage and therefore, the government has conserved this heritage in the form of a museum constructed in 1951. It has wonderful pieces of cultural excellence. So rejoice in the glorious history of this city through this museum.

Gujarat is a paradise for foodies. Although the types of food that you mostly get in the state is vegetarian, the variety of food that you get here in veg is enormous. All the famous Gujarati food items can be tried out in Patan too. Moreover, the people of Gujarat are very friendly so visitors can enjoy their hospitality as you savor traditional Gujarati food cooked by the locals. You can try sandwiches, vada-pav, and dabeli (burger kind of food item). Other than this, the traditional Gujarati food items can be tried out at the famous restaurants in Patan which include Food Zone, Food Junction, Bansi Kathiyawadi, and Asopalav Restaurant amongst others. So just enjoy the delicious food at these sublime joints.